


They Burned

by AngryPurpleFire



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Magic Revealed, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-12-13 16:41:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21000845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngryPurpleFire/pseuds/AngryPurpleFire
Summary: Merlin thought the prince discovering his magic would be the end of it all, but not everything was as it seemed.





	They Burned

Arthur discovering Merlin’s magic hadn’t gone exactly how he had expected it to. It was in the stupidest of ways, too. He should have known better than to use it to openly in the armory, but it was so late at night- it should have been fine. How was he supposed to know that the prince would stroll in? 

Merlin still didn’t know why the prince had come to the armory at that time of night. Arthur had left as quickly as he had arrived after seeing the floating sword sharpening itself. It gave Merlin no chance to explain himself or beg forgiveness. The prince had merely run off, presumably to alert his father. 

But the guards never came to arrest him- not that night, nor in the morning. 

Deciding to bring Arthur his breakfast was probably not the wisest choice he had ever made, but he would have to confront him eventually. Best not to do it when Arthur had an empty stomach. 

Oddly enough, Arthur never said anything about the magic. The overall discourse between the two of them seemed more strained, and Arthur seemed a bit more jumpy than before. Yet despite that, he said nothing. 

Finally, nearly a week later, Merlin broke the silence himself.

“Are you going to tell your father about me?”

Arthur didn’t flinch- didn’t even look up from his desk. He did set his quill down after a moment, placing it gently back into the ink pot. 

“When I was a child,” Arthur said slowly, still looking down. “Perhaps ten years old, I made friends with a boy in the lower town. He wasn’t a noble- his mother sold some baked treats I was quite fond of. My father didn’t approve, of course, but he’d rather my time be taken up with a commoner than with pestering him during a council meeting, so he allowed it. 

“Then I walked in on him using magic. I don’t remember what it was- something simple, I imagine. I told him that he had to stop using magic, but he said he didn’t know how. For weeks, I tried to help him stop using magic but nothing ever worked. No matter what he tried, he couldn’t stop it- couldn’t hold it in.

“One night he just started crying. He said he didn’t want to die. I told him that I would protect him- that I wouldn’t let him be executed. A few days later, I went to my father, and I told him that I thought the law against magic was wrong. He said that all those with magic were evil, and I told him he was wrong- that I knew someone with magic who wasn’t evil. I thought if I gave my father proof that he would listen to reason.

“My father questioned me, and I told him.” Arthur closed his eyes. “It made sense to me at the time. My father had met the boy before. He was a good kid. I thought if I showed him someone with magic who wasn’t evil, he would realize he was wrong and change the law. Then my friend wouldn’t have to live in fear anymore. I thought I was being clever.

“My father had the boy and his mother burnt at the stake. If I had just kept my mouth shut, he would still be alive today.”

“You were a child, Arthur.” Merlin said, speaking for the first time since Arthur had begun his story.

“And so was he.” Arthur finally looked up at Merlin. “No, I won’t tell my father, but I won’t promise you protection. If you were to be discovered, there would be nothing I could do to save you. I learned that a long time ago, so just… don’t get caught. Alright?”

Merlin nodded quickly. “I won’t.”

“That means you don’t use magic openly in the armory of all places.”

“Yes, sire.”

“And be careful.”

“Yes, sire.”


End file.
